Refrigeration appliance

ABSTRACT

A refrigeration appliance includes a carcass having a coolable freezer compartment. A door leaf is hinged to the carcass and provided for opening and closing the freezer compartment. Disposed in the freezer compartment is an ice maker, which includes an ice production apparatus for producing ice cubes, an ice storage container for storing the ice cubes, an insulating housing, in which the ice production apparatus and the ice storage container are disposed, and which has a dispenser for dispensing ice cubes stored in the ice storage container, and a sealing apparatus for opening and closing the dispenser.

The invention relates to a refrigeration appliance, in particular ahousehold refrigeration appliance, which has a freezer compartment, inwhich an ice maker is disposed.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,386,992 B2 discloses a household refrigerationappliance, in the door of which an ice dispenser is disposed. Disposedwithin the refrigeration chamber of the household refrigerationappliance is an ice maker, which is insulated thermally from therefrigeration chamber and is cooled by way of a channel connected to afreezer compartment of the household refrigeration appliance. Iceproduced using the ice maker is transported by means of a conveyorapparatus from the ice maker apparatus to the ice dispenser.

EP 1 598 618 A1 discloses a household refrigeration appliance having acarcass and a door leaf hinged to the carcass, in which an ice maker isintegrated. The ice maker is embodied so that it is thermally insulatedfrom the environment. The carcass comprises a guide, which guides coldair by way of openings into the ice maker when the door leaf is closed.The openings are closed when the door leaf is open.

The object of the present invention is to specify a refrigerationappliance having an ice maker disposed in its freezer compartment,wherein the risk of the ice cubes produced and stored in the ice makerclumping is at least reduced.

The object of the invention is achieved by a refrigeration appliance,having a carcass with a coolable freezer compartment, a door leaf hingedto the carcass and provided for opening and closing the freezercompartment and an ice maker disposed in the freezer compartment, havingan ice production apparatus for producing ice cubes and an ice storagecontainer for storing the ice cubes, as well as an insulating housing,which insulates in particular thermally and/or against moisture, inwhich the ice production apparatus and the ice storage container aredisposed. A refrigeration appliance refers in particular to a householdrefrigeration appliance, in other words a refrigeration appliance usedfor household management in households or possibly also in catering,serving in particular to store food and/or beverages in normal householdquantities at certain temperatures, for example an upright freezer orcombined fridge/freezer.

The inventive refrigeration appliance therefore comprises the ice maker,which is supplied with water by way of a water line for example, inorder to produce ice cubes using its ice production apparatus and tostore them in the ice storage container. The temperature in the freezercompartment causes the water to freeze, thereby producing ice cubes.When used as intended, the freezer compartment is opened from time totime by means of the door leaf, with the result that the temperature ofthe freezer compartment rises due to the ambient temperature of therefrigeration appliance. Since according to the invention the ice makeror its ice production apparatus and ice storage container is/areenclosed by the insulating housing, conditions are created whereby thetemperature, in the ice storage container in particular, fluctuates lessdue to an open door leaf. This at least reduces the risk of the icecubes stored in the ice storage container clumping. This is particularlyadvantageous, if the ice cubes are relatively small, e.g. have a masssmaller than 5 g.

The housing of the ice maker can be provided with at least one openingfor the inflow of cold air from the freezer compartment into thehousing. This allows the interior of the housing to be cooled by thefreezer compartment in a relatively simple manner for the freezing ofice cubes.

According to one preferred embodiment of the inventive refrigerationappliance the ice maker has a sealing apparatus for opening and closingthe opening. The sealing apparatus can be configured for example as aflap, preferably as an electromechanical flap. The sealing apparatus canbe used to control the passage of air into the interior of the housing.

The inventive refrigeration appliance can have a control apparatus forexample, which is set up to activate the sealing apparatus as a functionof the opening state of the door leaf. It is then possible, as in avariant of the inventive refrigeration appliance, for the sealingapparatus to be closed when the door leaf is open and opened when thedoor leaf is closed. This prevents air heated by the ambient air and/ormoisture getting into the interior of the housing through the openingwhen the door leaf is open and thereby heating up the stored ice cubes.This at least reduces the risk of the stored ice cubes clumping.

The housing can comprise a dispenser for dispensing ice cubes stored inthe ice storage container. The dispenser is configured for example as afurther opening in the base of the housing. The ice maker can preferablycomprises a further sealing apparatus for opening and closing thedispenser. The ice dispenser can therefore be released when required,for example when someone wants to remove ice cubes from the ice maker orits ice storage container. The further sealing apparatus is configuredas a further flap for example.

In order to seal the ice maker and its housing more effectively againstheat and/or moisture when the dispenser is closed, the further sealingapparatus can be provided with a seal disposed on the side facing thefurther opening.

Any potential freezing up of the sealing device in particular with itsseal can be prevented, if provision is made as in one embodiment of theinventive refrigeration appliance for it to comprise means forpreventing freezing of the further sealing apparatus.

The means for preventing freezing of the further sealing apparatus canbe configured for example as a heating facility in the region of thefurther opening. A blowing means is also suitable, being set up to blowthe cold air from the freezer compartment into the region around thefurther sealing apparatus.

The inventive refrigeration appliance can preferably be set up so thatit actuates the means for preventing freezing of the further sealingapparatus as a function of the opening state of the door leaf, inparticular so that it only actuates the means for preventing freezing ofthe further sealing apparatus when the door leaf is open.

It is therefore possible with the inventive refrigeration appliance tostore ice cubes produced by the ice maker, in particular relativelysmall ice cubes that are for example smaller than 5 g, without clumping.In some instances this is achieved by accommodating the ice maker in asealed or insulated housing within the freezer compartment. In someinstances the ice maker has electromechanical flaps to allow thecirculation of air cooled by the freezer compartment into the interiorof the housing of the ice maker. The flaps preferably close when thedoor leaf of the refrigeration appliance is opened. It may not bepossible for warm air to penetrate into the interior of the housing asrequired through an opening in the housing of the ice maker for a waterinlet, as the connection for water is generally in the form of a waterline. In some instances the flap for opening and closing the ice cubedispenser of the ice maker can be provided with a seal to at leastreduce any circulation of air through the closed dispenser. To preventthe seal on the housing freezing up, it is possible to blow cold airfrom the freezer compartment for example onto this region as soon as thedoor leaf of the refrigeration appliance is opened. A heating facilityis also an option for preventing the seal freezing up. Frost will thennot form in the region of the seal but at a non-critical point instead.

In some instances therefore the ice maker comprises the ice productionapparatus and the ice storage container (also referred to as a hopper orbin), which are disposed in the freezer compartment in a sealed mannerby means of the housing. The ice production apparatus is preferably onethat does not comprise a heating apparatus and is embodied for exampleas what is known as a twister. The housing is preferably sealed againstmoisture originating from an open door leaf or produced during a defrostcycle.

One advantage of the inventive refrigeration appliance is thatrelatively small ice cubes in particular can be stored for longerwithout clumping and can thus be moved more easily as required in thedirection of the dispenser by means of a transport apparatus of the icestorage container.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way ofexample in the accompanying schematic drawings, in which the singleFIGURE shows a household refrigeration appliance having an ice maker.

The FIGURE shows a sectional view of a household refrigeration appliancein the form of an upright freezer as an example of a refrigerationappliance 1.

The refrigeration appliance 1 has a carcass 2, which delimits a freezercompartment 3. Hinged to the carcass 2 of the refrigeration appliance 1is a door leaf 4 and the freezer compartment 3 can be cooled by arefrigeration apparatus 5 known in principle to the person skilled inthe art. The refrigeration apparatus 5 is configured for example as arefrigeration circuit having at least one evaporator and at least onecompressor. In the present exemplary embodiment the refrigerationapparatus 5 has for example an outlet 5 a, by way of which therefrigeration apparatus 5 can blow cooled air into the freezercompartment 3.

Disposed in the freezer compartment 3 is an ice maker 6. This has an inparticular insulated housing 7, within which an ice production apparatus8 and an ice storage container 9 are disposed. In the present exemplaryembodiment the ice storage container 9 is disposed below the iceproduction apparatus 8 so that ice cubes produced by the ice productionapparatus 8, which in particular have a mass smaller than 5 g, drop intothe ice storage container 9.

In the present exemplary embodiment water required to produce the icecubes is supplied to the ice production apparatus 8 by way of an inlet10 disposed in the housing 7, which is connected for example to a waterline (not shown in detail).

In the present exemplary embodiment the base 11 of the housing 7 has anopening 11 a in its region facing the door leaf 4, said opening 11 abeing able to be closed and opened by means of a flap 12. Ice cubes candrop out of the ice maker 6 through the opening 11 a as required whenthe flap 12 is open. To transport the ice cubes in the direction of theflap 12, a transport apparatus 13 is provided in the ice storagecontainer 9, conveying the ice cubes from the rear region of the icestorage container 9 in the direction of the flap 12. The transportapparatus 13 comprises a screw drive for example.

In the present exemplary embodiment a dispenser apparatus 14 is disposedin the door leaf 4. It comprises an ice dispenser 15 disposed in theouter skin of the door leaf 4 and a channel 16 that passes through thedoor leaf 4. When the door leaf 3 is closed, the channel 16 ends on oneside below the flap 12 of the ice maker 6. The other end of the channel16 opens into the ice dispenser 15, so that when the flap 12 is open icecubes can drop through the base 11 of the ice maker 6 into the channel16 and be received at the ice dispenser 15.

In the present exemplary embodiment the dispenser apparatus 14 has anactuation mechanism (not shown in detail), which is actuated to open theflap 12, so that the ice cubes can pass from the ice maker 6 through thechannel 16 to the ice dispenser 15.

To seal the opening 11 a in the base 11 more effectively when the flap12 is closed, the flap 12 can have a seal (not shown in detail) on itsside facing the base 11 of the housing 7. To at least reduce the risk ofthe flap 12 freezing up, particularly when the door leaf 4 is open, anapparatus (not shown in detail) for example can be provided, which blowscold air into the region of the flap 12 when the door leaf 4 is open.However a heating apparatus (not shown in detail) can also be provided,which heats the region around the flap 12 when the door leaf 4 is open.

So that the ice production apparatus 8 can produce ice cubes from thewater flowing through the inlet 10, the interior of the housing 7 of theice maker 6 must be cooled correspondingly. For this purpose at leastone opening 17 is provided in one of the walls of the housing 7 of theice maker 6, through which the cooled air from the freezer compartment 3can flow. The opening 17 can also be opened and closed for example bymeans of a further flap 18, to insulate the interior of the ice maker 6from the freezer compartment 3.

In the present exemplary embodiment the flap 18 is an electromechanicalflap 18. This is connected for example by way of a line (not shown indetail) to a control apparatus 19 of the refrigeration appliance 1,which for example also activates the refrigeration apparatus 5, so thatthe freezer compartment 3 maintains a predefined setpoint temperature atleast approximately. The control apparatus 19 is also set up to open andclose the electromechanical flap 18 as required.

In the present exemplary embodiment the control apparatus 19 isconfigured so that it closes the electromechanical flap 18 automaticallyas soon as the door leaf 4 is opened. The control apparatus 19 receivesinformation about the opening state of the door leaf 4 for example froma door opening switch (not shown in detail). When the door leaf 4 isclosed again, the control apparatus 19 activates the electromechanicalflap 18 automatically so that it opens up the opening 17 again. Thecontrol apparatus 19 is therefore set up to activate theelectromechanical flap 18 in such a manner that it closes the opening 17when the door leaf 4 is open and opens it up when the door leaf 4 isclosed, so that the interior of the ice maker 6 is cooled by means ofthe freezer compartment 3.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

-   1 Refrigeration appliance-   2 Carcass-   2 a Base-   3 Freezer compartment-   4 Door leaf-   5 Refrigeration apparatus-   5 a Outlet-   6 Ice maker-   7 Housing-   8 Ice production apparatus-   9 Ice storage container-   10 Inlet-   11 Opening-   12 Flap-   13 Transport apparatus-   14 Dispenser apparatus-   15 Ice dispenser-   16 Channel-   17 Opening-   18 Flap-   19 Control apparatus

1-10. (canceled)
 11. A refrigeration appliance, comprising: a carcasshaving a coolable freezer compartment; a door leaf hinged to the carcassand provided for opening and closing the freezer compartment; and an icemaker disposed in the freezer compartment, said ice maker including anice production apparatus for producing ice cubes, an ice storagecontainer for storing the ice cubes, an insulating housing, in which theice production apparatus and the ice storage container are disposed,said housing comprising a dispenser for dispensing ice cubes stored inthe ice storage container, and a sealing apparatus for opening andclosing the dispenser.
 12. The refrigeration appliance of claim 11,constructed in the form of a household refrigeration appliance.
 13. Therefrigeration appliance of claim 11, wherein the housing is constructedfor at least one of thermal insulation and insulation against moisture.14. The refrigeration appliance of claim 11, wherein the dispenser ofthe housing is configured as an opening in a base of the housing. 15.The refrigeration appliance of claim 14, wherein the sealing apparatusis configured in either of two ways, a first way in which the sealingapparatus is a flap, a second way in which the sealing apparatus isprovided with a seal disposed on a side facing the opening.
 16. Therefrigeration appliance of claim 11, further comprising an anti-freezeunit constructed to prevent freezing of the sealing apparatus.
 17. Therefrigeration appliance of claim 16, wherein the dispenser of thehousing is configured as an opening in a base of the housing, saidanti-freeze unit being configured in either of two ways, a first way inwhich the anti-freeze unit is configured as a heating facility disposedin a region of the opening, a second way in which the anti-freeze unitis configured as a blowing facility to blow cold air from the freezercompartment into a region around the sealing apparatus.
 18. Therefrigeration appliance of claim 16, further comprising a controlapparatus to actuate the anti-freeze unit as a function of an openingstate of the door leaf.
 19. The refrigeration appliance of claim 18,wherein the control apparatus is configured to actuate the anti-freezeunit when the door leaf is open.